And Now....A Word of Thanks To Our Sponsors

If you've read the previous posting here about the new documentary "Smile 'Til It Hurts" and watched the trailer of the film which concerns the history of the national Sing-Out and UWP shows, you will note that suspicious motives are alledged concerning many of the corporations that sponsored the national casts and their travels during those years.

There seem to be allegations that several of these large businesses, mostly American-based used Sing-Out and Up With People as a way to gain initial access to foreign markets that they would later exploit by selling their products or gaining business contracts.

I have no idea of the truth of that (although it sounds a little exaggerated to me, frankly). I do know that we had a lot of Nashville businesses and prominent individuals who financially supported and sponsored Sing-Out South during the 1960s and early '70s. And I thought this blog would offer a good opportunity to thank them.

Here's a partial list as it ran in the program distributed on the night of SOS' premiere performances at Hillsboro High School on March 25 & 26, 1966.

Allied Sound Company
Avis Truck Rental System
Beaman Pontiac
G. Park Brinson, Columbus, GA
Capitol Chevrolet
Vice Mayor George Cate
Mayor Beverly Briley
Governor Frank Clement
Commerce Union Bank
Clark Hardware
Frank Davis Buick
A.D. Creighton
Cumberland Motors Co., Inc.
Thomas L. Cummings, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Lipscomb Davis, Sr.
Mr.& Mrs. C.F. DeVillbiss
Dr. H.C. Gabhart
O.C. Doty
Electra Distributing Co.
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Eller
Mr. & Mrs. James T. Granberry, Jr.
Hale Harris
Dr. John Harris, Metro Schools Director
General Motors Corporation
Harvey's
Hertz Truck Rental
Mr.s Agnes Hibbs
Rev. James Hitchcock, Catholic Schools Director
Holiday Inns of America
W.F. Holt
George House, Tennessee Distributors, Inc.
Sam H. Hunt, Third National Bank
Inglewood Hardware, Inc.
Johnson Lumber Co.
Metro Police Chief Hubert Kemp
Manning P. Kirby
Lankford Hardware & Supply Company
Edward Lunn
THE NASHVILLE BANNER
Nashville Stone Setting Co.
National Casket Co.
National Stores Corp.
Nicholson's Hi Fidelity
Fred Peyser, Melrose Camera
Jim Reed Chevrolet
Mr. & Mrs. John Reid
Cummings & Company
E.B.Stahlman
Sears Roebuck Co.
A.J. Smith Co.
Stewart's Inc.
Alex Taylor
Electric Business Machines
Tennessee A&I University
Tennessee Trailblazers
The National Life & Accident Insurance Company
Dr.& Mrs. Wendall Wilson

Now clearly many more businesses and individuals were involved over the years in supporting Sing-Out South. There's Governor Buford Ellington for one, and the many business leaders and others who gave money to support our trips to the national conferences in Estes Park, CO. and Ft. Slocum, NY.

And then there are our own parents and families and those who filled up those blue buckets with the letters S.O.S. on them which we passed around during intermission at our shows seeking financial support.

Looking at the list above, you can see how broad based our support was in the community and at how much Nashville has changed over the years. I can see in many cases, exactly what the support of certain businesses or groups was for: the sound system, the stage, cast uniforms, transportation.

But I do have one question: What was the support of the National Casket Company and the Nashville Stone Setting Co. about?

Whatever it was, we thank them. And we appreciate their help, even if all it was for was to support young people and a patriotic show they really liked.